Blankets
by NuitNoirechan
Summary: He's probably the laziest boss in existence, but he's also the only boss Alice can imagine who can make "playing with blankets" an innocent thing. Nightmare just has to get finished with his work first.


**Nightmare, why you so cute!? Seriously.**

**This is set during Joker no Kuni, in April Season, so it's winter at the Tower, for those of you who don't know anything about that.**

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"I'm sleepy."

"Too bad."

"... I want to sleep."

"You have work to do."

"... I need sl-"

"After you finish your work."

"Alice!" Nightmare burst out at last. His one visible eye was watery as he implored, "I've been working for the past three time changes! I'm exhausted!"

Alice was tempted to once more say "too bad," except that as soon as the words crossed her mind Nightmare exclaimed, "It's not 'too bad'! I'm tired! And cold! I hate winter! I want to sleep! Let me sleep, you witch!"

One eyebrow arched as she gave him a mild look. "What was that?"

"Ah, er..." He wilted. "E-e-enough of those thoughts... th-they're way too d-dark..."

"You are to work until you're finished with these papers," Alice said, gesturing with a hand to the papers that were piled up on his desk still. "My job is to keep you from slipping away while Gray takes care of other work."

"So it's his fault," mumbled Nightmare. "I should've known, that-"

"Finish that sentence and your next cup of coffee is entirely medicine."

"You shouldn't stand up for him so, Alice! He's a slave driver and you know it!" Nightmare gasped dramatically. "Ah, I see how it is! Gray has brainwashed you as well! I should have known he would, it was inevitable! Worry not, Alice, I'll-"

"Nightmare."

"... Yes?"

Alice's deceptively bright smile was probably what had her boss shrinking back. "No one has brainwashed me. I simply wish to see this work done so that I too may take a break. You're not the only one who needs rest, so if you would for once be a little less selfish, we might all be happy, and you might actually get some respect."

He stared unblinking at her for a long moment. Then, predictably, Nightmare drooped until his head touched his desk. "I knew it... I'm not respected by anyone... Even though I'm amazing, no one respects me..." He trailed off into depressed mutters.

After a long moment of silence, Alice sighed. "All right, I'm sorry," she said. "I do respect you. I just want you to do your best because, honestly, there are a lot of people who are relying on you. Do you want to disappoint them?"

"I'm the boss," he mumbled. "You should look up to me anyway and treat me better..." But he did look slightly more cheerful.

"And as the boss, you have a lot of responsibility." Alice put her hands on her hips in a no-nonsense stance, yet her words were gentle and encouraging as she said, "I want to help you to do your best, but you have to do some things on your own. Come on, it's just a few more papers. As soon as you're done with these- and I don't mean any others that will be added, just these- you can take a break, get some sleep, get warm, or whatever else it is you want to do."

Nightmare, who had lifted his head, stared at her for a long moment. She blinked. "What?"

"... Alice."

"What is it?"

"If you're that tired, you can take a nap."

Alice gave him a strange look. "Why do you say that?"

"You wouldn't be acting like this if you weren't tired, right? You must be exhausted."

"Hey," she said in irritation. "Stop insulting me. I'm not _that _harsh! You yourself admitted- indirectly, perhaps, but you did admit it- that I'm not near as bad as Gray, whom you should be far more used to by now than you are me!"

"See, you are even referring to Gray's tyranny as 'harsh'!" Nightmare gave a dramatic gasp. "See, you're clearly overworked! Normally he can do no wrong in your eyes! ... Actually this is quite a good thing..."

Alice heaved a long sigh. "Nightmare, being melodramatic isn't going to get you anywhere." Shaking her head, she cast her eyes to the ceiling and went on, "Honestly, I don't see why you can't just finish your work without whining so much. You're just wasting time and making yourself all the more tired as well as getting more work piled on you. If you would just get back to work-"

She stopped and looked back to the desk.

... He wasn't there anymore.

"DANG IT NIGHTMARE!"

The door closed; in an instant Alice raced off after him. "Come back here!" she yelled as she ran. "You think you're so funny, but you're just-!?"

From around the corner she heard a choked exclamation almost like pain. Uh-oh- had Nightmare gotten himself hurt?

Not quite, as it turned out. Nightmare was sprawled on his rear with his hands to his face, while Julius stared down at him in disgust. From how Julius was rubbing his arm, Alice gathered that he'd clotheslined her escaping boss in the face.

"Thank you, Julius," she sighed as she rubbed she forehead. "He's avoiding work again..." Perhaps she _was_ a little harsh, she wondered on hearing her own words.

Julius snorted inelegantly before replying, "As always. Nightmare!" Nightmare jumped. "Get back to work and stop causing Alice trouble!"

"Don't pity HER, pity ME!" Nightmare cried, sulking. "I'm the one being overworked!"

"I pity the Lizard more than I pity YOU. Dealing with such a brat so often has got to be exhausting. Now grow up, shut up, and go away- I have work to do."

As expected of Julius. Nightmare had wilted and regressed to muttering under his breath about how he never got any respect even by those who lived in his Tower. Alice didn't pay attention to him and just grasped his arm to try pulling him to his feet.

"Look, if you're that tired, I'll lend as much help as I can," she told the pouting dream demon. "I doubt I'll be able to do much more than I already have, but I'll do my best."

She didn't have time to fend off the spontaneous hug from Nightmare and so was almost knocked over. "Thank you so much! You really are a caring subordinate after all!"

"Oof! Yes, yes, I do care... Now please stop strangling me..."

It was with that as persuasion that Alice got him back into his room and working again, with blankets around his shoulders and on his lap. Nightmare kept as close an eye on her as she did on him, apparently making sure that Alice was still doing her promised portion of the work. She ignored the attention and focused on her work and his progress.

Any minute now... She knew that it wouldn't be much longer before he gave up, probably spectacularly, because no matter how good of a job he did, Nightmare was sure to give up quickly.

... Any minute now.

... Surely in just a few moments.

... It couldn't be much longer.

... He was still working!?

"Heheheeeeh... are you surprised?"

"More surprised than I am at you reading my mind. Get out of my head!"

Nightmare just grinned. "You see, I'm a respectable boss!" he went on as if he'd not heard.

"Only when you want to be."

He just looked amused. "Alice, can't you learn to relax?"

"I do relax. You just never take things seriously enough to be able to recognize that."

"Geh-!" That one got him.

Smiling to herself, Alice said, "If that's settled, then please- woah!"

She was caught by surprise when one of the blankets that Nightmare had draped himself with landed on top of her. Before she could yank it off, she was knocked off her feet as someone (three guesses who) tackled her. Alice landed on her backside with a thud that knocked her breath out but, thankfully, wasn't painful.

"What do you think you're doing!?" she exclaimed as soon as she got the air. "Let go! I can't see!" Attempts to flail were made impossible by how Nightmare's arms pinned hers to her sides, thanks to his grip around her waist.

"If I let go, you'll escape! No!" He did remove one arm, but that wasn't enough to get free by, especially not when she felt him throw another blanket over her and possibly himself.

If her gaze could literally burn, these blankets would be cinders. "Nightmare, what do you think you're doing this time?" Alice demanded. With her free hand she pushed the blanket away from her face to give hrself more room to breathe.

In that time he managed to get under her blanket without letting her escape; by squinting, Alice was just able to see the smug grin Nightmare wore, barely visible though it was in the slight light that seeped through the blankets.

"Explain." Alice didn't need to elaborate.

"I finished my work!" He was still going to avoid giving details.

"Not likely."

"It's true. That paper you just put down was the last one I had to sign and stamp."

This had to a first- Nightmare Gottschalk had actually gotten caught up with his work. Alice was so unused to such a thing that she hadn't even noticed. "... I'm so proud."

Nightmare gave her a hurt look. "You don't have to sound so fake you know..."

"Maybe I'd be a little happier about it if you hadn't done something very random once again. Now tell me: why did you throw these blankets over me like a tent?"

"Because you looked cold."

"Honest answer, please."

"... Because I felt like it. I wanted to build a tent out of blankets."

Alice stared at him, or at least as best she could when there was scarcely enough light to see him by. "A tent of blankets? Why?"

"Why not? It's warm and fun and-"

"And childish."

"You always tell me to grow up; you simply grew up too fast. Did you not have a good childhood?"

"Nightmare, don't bring my childhood into this. I'm trying to be serious here." She paused. "... How does this even count as a tent of blankets, anyhow? It's more like a collapsed tent."

"It's barely started. I need help building it," replied Nightmare. From what Alice could see of his face, he looked expectant.

Like a puppy begging to played with.

... She couldn't win.

Sighing in defeat, she relented, "All right, I'll help you build your tent. But as soon as someone comes in with work, break time's over."

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This was cheating.

Alice was seated on the floor at the foot of one of the chairs surrounding the small table in Nightmare's room. Over the chairs and table were thrown several blankets in a makeshift tent, with another and some pillows on the floor to sit on. Her troublesome boss had suddenly decided that taking a nap was a good idea and that her shoulder made a better pillow than the fluffy ones scattered around.

Well, he'd been complaining that he was tired earlier. She wasn't sure that this wasn't his objective all along; she wouldn't put it past him.

Whatever the case, getting stuck like this… was something she was half used to, so Alice didn't complain.

At least it meant that she got to be the one watching him sleep for once, instead of the other way around.


End file.
